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Sonoro Gold Corp. released assay results from the ongoing phase four reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign at its proposed Cerro Caliche heap leach gold project, situated within the Cucurpe Mining District of north-central Sonora, Mexico. Drill hole SCR-26-034 drilled at the El Rincon zone intercepted 36.5 meters grading 1.84 grams per tonne gold from a downhole depth of 38 meters, including a higher-grade interval of 12.2 meters grading 3.95 grams per tonne gold. Mineralization consists of oxidized quartz-vein stockworks hosted in silicified rhyolitic volcanic rocks.
Cerro Caliche encompasses 15 contiguous concessions covering over 1,400 hectares in a prolific epithermal precious metal district located approximately 45 kilometers southeast of Agnico Eagle's San Nicolas mine and 50 kilometers south of First Majestic's Santa Elena silver-gold operation. Detailed geological modeling confirms that shallow oxide mineralization across the El Rincon, Bellotoso, and Cabeza Blanca trends remains open along strike and to depth, displaying excellent heap leach metallurgical characteristics with gold extraction recoveries averaging 74 percent in bottle-roll cyanide tests.
The revised preliminary economic assessment models an open-pit heap leach operation designed to process 12,000 tonnes of mineralized material per day, delivering average annual production of 45,000 ounces of gold equivalent over an initial nine-year mine life. Capital expenditures to commercial production are estimated at 33 million dollars, benefiting from existing road infrastructure, nearby high-voltage grid connections, and local groundwater extraction concessions. Environmental baseline monitoring programs for the federal MIA environmental permit have reached conclusion.
Corporate leadership stated that shallow oxide gold deposits with low initial capital intensity and straightforward heap-leach metallurgy offer superior economic returns during periods of elevated global gold prices. Developing shovel-ready gold assets in Sonora leverages established mining workforces and supportive municipal jurisdictions. Sonoro confirmed that the ongoing drill campaign will continue testing undrilled geophysical anomalies along the Guadalupe structural corridor, paving the way for a project financing decision in early 2027.
Sonoro Gold emphasized that the continuous shallow oxide mineralization encountered across the northwest extension of Cerro Caliche substantially reduces strip ratio projections for the proposed open pit mining scenario. Heap leach extraction tests demonstrate favorable gold recoveries within rapid kinetic cycles without requiring intensive crushing. The geological team continues systematic mapping to identify additional drill targets across underexplored structural trends within the property boundary.